Oscar Piastri secured the victory in the Chinese Grand Prix, leading a McLaren one-two finish, while both Ferrari drivers and Pierre Gasly were disqualified following the race.
Oscar Piastri shines after the disappointment of Melbourne
George Russell completed the podium, whilst Max Verstappen and Esteban Ocon rounded up the top five.
While teams like Red Bull and Ferrari were forced into aggressive strategy calls, Mclaren dictated the pace. Their medium-hard tire strategy proved to have been the ideal choice, allowing both of the drivers to extend their stints and avoid any drama.
The poleman, Oscar Piastri managed to bounce back from the disappointment in Australia and absolutely dominate the Chinese GP:”The car felt amazing all weekend, and we executed everything perfectly.” The Australian drove a mistake-free race, proving he has what it takes to be a regular contender for race wins, and maybe even the title. His teammate, Lando Norris further extended his lead in the Drivers’ Championship. He clinched onto the second position and maintained a gap of approximately three seconds behind Piastri during the closing stages of the race, but encountered a brake problem, therefore he tried to protect his position from Russell (who tried to undercut the Mclaren driver).
The struggles in Red Bull during the Chinese Grand Prix
Verstappen’s 2025 Chinese Grand Prix was a race of patience, strategy and relentless battling against the Ferraris. Despite struggling with tire degradation early on, Verstappen used an aggressive undercut strategy to gain track position over Leclerc. He opted for a one-stop strategy, whilst Ferrari decided on a late-race switch to soft tires. In the end, his defensive driving and racecraft made the difference for the fourth position.
Coming from a pointless weekend that ended with a crash in tge feature race, Liam Lawson endured another disastrous race weekend filled with mistakes, misfortunes and lack of overall pace that cost him valuable positions.
Last week, Red Bull announced that Lawson will be demoted to RB from the Japanese GP onwards. The newzeelander admitted he found his demotion “tough” but said he is excited to work with his former team Racing Bulls. After being promoted to Red Bull’s senior team from its sister outfit for the 2025 season (replacing Sergio Perez as Max Verstappen’s teammate) Lawson had previously competed in 11 races with Racing Bulls before securing his Red Bull seat. On his return to the team, he will partner with rookie Isack Hadjar.
Tsunoda will make his Red Bull debut befire his home crowd at Suzuka.
Ferrari, what a disaster the double disqualification in Chinese Grand Prix
From the start, Ferrari’s lack of overall speed was evident. Coming from an almost perfect Saturday, the Italian team was looking to deliver another great result. Both drivers struggled with tire degradation, leading to a poor stint on the hards. Meanwhile, Hamilton could not challenge the competitors ahead, further compounding Ferrari’s frustration.
As things couldn’t get any worse, Leclerc was disqualified from the race as his SF-25 was 1kg below the minimum weight, while Hamilton’s rear skid block was found to be thinner than the minimum required.
Notably, this race marked the first time in Formula One history that both Ferrari cars were disqualified from a Grand Prix.
Haas and Williams’ rivalry against the rest of the midfield
While much of the focus was on the top teams, Haas subtly delivered one of its best performances solid race pace and strategic execution. Both Esteban Ocon and rookie Oliver Bearman finished in the top 10, getting a haul of 14 points for the team.
Starting from 11th and running a strategy similar to most drivers ahead, Ocon commenced the race on the medium Pirelli compound before switching to another set of mediums midway through. The Frenchman gained positions over Racing Bulls drivers Isack Hadjar and Yuki Tsunoda, who opted for a two-stop strategy, and further capitalized on opportunities to overtake Williams’ Alex Albon and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.
Meanwhile, Ollie started on the hard compound before switching to the medium tyre on lap 27 for the final stages of the race. Ollie’s racecraft was noteworthy as well, successfully executing overtakes on Doohan and Lawson at Turn 14.
Unlike past seasons, where Williams struggled for consistency, 2025 has seen both drivers regularly showing genuine pace, emerging as one of the most efficient point-scorers in the midfield battle and claiming an astounding P4 in the Constructors Championship.
Subsequently, Stroll and Sainz have been promoted to P9 and P10, respectively. Stroll showcased excellent tyre management, extending his hard-tyre stint to an impressive 37 laps before switching to mediums. Things didn’t go as planned for his teammate, Alonso, who also encountered brake issues and was therefore forced to retire from the race on lap 5.
Pierre Gasly is also disqualified
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was disqualified from the race after the stewards had found his car to be underweight. His teammate, Doohan is facing increased pressure from Alpine to deliver strong results following another disappointing 13th-place finish. He also ended the weekend with 4 points added to his super licence causing a collision with Bortoleto and for forcing Hadjar off the track.
Sauber concluded a challenging day in 14th and 15th place, with Bortoleto securing the better position despite an earlier off-track excursion.
RB has failed to capitalise on scoring points. Tsunoda’s race went downhill when his front wing unexpectedly broke on a straight, forcing an extra pit stop. He faced challenges throughout and ultimately finished 16th after making three pit stops.
The Constructors Championship
While Mclaren has emerged as the early season front-runner, Mercedes remains in the hunt for the Constructors Championship after the Chinese Grand Prix.
“We’re making progress, but Mclaren has done a fantastic job”, Russell admitted after the Chinese GP. Moreover, Antonelli’s performance in China was particularly noteworthy. Despite starting further down the grid due to a tricky qualifying session, he executed a smart race strategy, managing tire wear well and overtaking more experienced drivers to finish sixth.
The next race is scheduled at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan on April 6.
